Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Are Pets Clutter?

Pets & ClutterI've been reading some historical (that sounds better than "old" right?!) blog posts lately. I found one on Unclutterer called Pets Are Clutter.

I'm not sure if the author knew how big of a can of worms he was opening by writing about people's beloved pets being clutter!

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my pets. They are like my babies in many, many ways, but I do agree with the author that they are indeed clutter.

Pets, not unlike human babies, come with a lot of stuff. Cats require scratching posts, toys, litter boxes, food and water bowls, and these are just the basics! Dogs similarly require food and water bowls, possibly a bed or kennel, somewhere to potty outside, toys, collars, leashes, grooming supplies, etc. This does not include specialized furniture, clothes and other accessories that some people provide for their pets.

Pets also clutter up our schedules. They require time, attention, and energy. I'm not saying this a bad thing, my dogs get me up and going earlier in the morning for a nice brisk walk before work, which is good for my health and theirs, but it does require planning. It takes time to care of them, play with them, socialize with them, get them to their grooming appointments (if necessary) and veterinary appointments.

I do not agree with Unclutterer's view that pets don't offer anything to our living spaces. I think my pets definitely add to my life. They keep me company, make me happy and bring me joy. So though they are clutter and their stuff is clutter, they are a good clutter in my life and I won't be "de-cluttering" my pets, though I do try to limit how many toys and things they have around the house at one time.

Which side of the fence do you fall on? Are pets worth the "clutter" they bring into your life?

Note: Yesterday on my way to work, the blinker on my car quit working for right turns. I think it's time to get it fixed. :( I was really hoping it would keep working so I could replace the tires first.

Another Note: If you are interested in guest-posting at Shoeaholicnomore, email me at shoeaholicnomore[at]gmail[dot]com!

12 Comments:

I have never thought of pets as clutter. I have two cats and I agree that their company is worth it! They do a lot of silly things that keep me amused. I have their litter box, scratching post, food/water bowls and a little thing they can lay in. It did take up some space at our last apartment, but it's barely noticeable here.

My pets keep me amused too! They have a lot of stuff and it's a nuisance sometimes, I use my home to run my home business and have to move the pet stuff to another room sometimes, but I love them and it's worth it to me!

Umm.. I'd never call pets clutter. In the same vein, you could also call babies for the first 5 years as "clutter" then. Ridiculous.

As for babies having lots of stuff, I disagree. What my son has right now can fit into a suitcase. As he gets older he will undoubtedly accumulate more stuff, but not to the point where he will have toys all over the living room.

Thanks for weighing in. I appreciate your insight. I can't really talk from experience about how much stuff babies require, I don't have any children myself, but it does seem like a lot of babies require a LOT of stuff. Babies my friends have had seem to have a lot anyhow. Maybe you are in the minority of this group, I don't know. Good for you for limiting the amount of clutter that comes along with having a child. While the child itself isn't clutter, maybe they create clutter? The same argument could be used for pets, while you may not consider them to be clutter, maybe their stuff is clutter? Particularly if there is more stuff than actually required.

Again, this is just my opinion. To each his/her own. Thanks for taking the time to share.

I'm not a pet person, but I understand their value. I do, however, think it's terribly irresponsible to have a pet if you can't afford to take care of yourself. It's something I see ALL the time. Pets are not cheap.

My cat is def worth the money, time, and vet bills. I don't plan on having children, and feel no bad thoughts spoiling Isaac rotten with a new toy or a new bag of treats. The cat offers no judgment against me, he always wants to cuddle, always meets me at the door when I get home. As for clutter, I think I have more clutter than he does lol.Cheers,Jen

I do think pets bring clutter into your life as well as cost but they bring so much joy!

We are still deliberating if we will get a rescue standard poodle since our boy died at 12 years of age last year. There are a lot of factors in the decision which is causing us to delay but we still miss him so much. We know we can't replace him though, so above all, we need to be sure we are ready.

I totally agree with you Debs! Even though there's clutter and cost, I wouldn't give up my pets :)

It is important to weigh these factors before choosing to become pet owners again. There are a lot of people who don't consider them and that's why there's so many animals in shelters and rescues that need new homes. Good for your for taking the time to make up your mind before acting.

I love animals! It's interesting the author calls it "clutter". I've never thought about it like that. I will say one of the reasons I don't have pets is because of the time factors involved. Walking, training, leaving places early to come home to feed a dog, etc.. I'm not really wanting to add that into my life now. At the same time, I wouldn't call pets "clutter". LOL. We're all just trained to think "clutter" is a bad word. Pets= love. It's weird to think of them as clutter, I guess.